Funeral details announced for Yorkshire Post correspondent Tom Richmond

Police are appealing for information regarding the fighting at Sandown's meeting on Saturday, after a video showing the scenes of violence was posted on social media.

The video showed around half a dozen men grappling and throwing punches in a first-floor bar, with shocked racegoers watching on. The incident happened during the popular Jump Season Finale, where around 9,000 were in attendance.

A police spokesperson said: "We are currently investigating reports of an assault at Sandown Park on Saturday [April 23]. This follows the circulation of footage on social media. No victim has been identified at this stage and no arrests have been made.

"We encourage anyone who may have any information around this to contact us quoting PR/45220043399."

The Jockey Club, which owns Sandown, said it would help with an investigation and would look to issue lifetime bans to those who could be identified.

Sarah Drabwell, Sandown’s general manager, said: “Racing is a fantastic day out for most people and then you see our security team having to respond to behaviour like this from individuals who should never return to a racecourse.

“As such we are liaising with the police and will work with them to try to identify anyone involved, in order to issue life bans from every racecourse we operate.”

Iconic duo Dettori and Dancing Brave honoured with induction into Hall of Fame

Frankie Dettori and Dancing Brave have become the latest members to be inducted into the Qipco British Champions Series Hall of Fame.

Launched in 2021, the Hall of Fame sets out to immortalise the modern greats of the sport, both human and equine, from 1970 onwards. Dettori and Dancing Brave are the first to be inducted in 2022.

Dettori, 51, becomes the third jockey – and first current rider – to be inducted following Lester Piggott and Pat Eddery.

He said: “Joining the Qipco British Champions Series Hall of Fame gives me an immense feeling of pride and I’m honoured for my career to be recognised in this way, placing me alongside others who I have looked up to my whole life.

“Lester was my idol when I came over from Italy and I was lucky to ride against him on a few occasions, while Pat was the most gifted horseman I have ever seen.

“When I first started out, my ambition was to be a mid-division jockey. This spiralled out of control early on; I quickly became champion jockey, I got an awesome job with Luca [Cumani], and the dream came alive. When I first set out on this path, I didn’t quite believe in myself but, as things snowballed, I realised I could make it to become the jockey I am today.”

Dancing Brave, trained by Guy Harwood and owned by the late Prince Khalid Abdullah, is the sixth horse to join the Hall of Fame, 36 years after winning the 2,000 Guineas, Eclipse, King George and, most famously, the Arc

He is also one of the sport’s most famous losers, having finished fast but too late to catch Shahrastani in the 1986 Derby.

On the penultimate start of his career at Longchamp he defeated an incredibly strong field, including Shahrastani, Shardari, Triptych, Acatenango and Bering. The performance was enough to earn him an official rating of 141, which remains the highest allotted since the International Classifications began in 1977.

Top horses by official ratings (since 1977)

Dancing Brave 141; Alleged, Frankel, Shergar 140; El Gran Senor 138; Generous, Peintre Celebre, Three Troikas 137; Sea The Stars, Suave Dancer, Troy 136

Jackson takes up Newbury mic

Broadcaster Dani Jackson will become Newbury’s official live on-course commentator for all charity races in 2022.

In a new initiative to champion female race callers, Newbury has announced a new partnership with Jackson that will launch at the Al Shaqab Lockinge meeting with Ladies Day on May 14.

Jackson’s first call will be on the Injured Jockeys Fund Charity Race in celebration of Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee, the first race of the afternoon at 12.15.

Jackson said: “I’m excited and honoured to be involved with this new initiative and be named the first female commentator as part of Newbury’s brand-new programme to help build a pathway for more female voices into horse racing commentary."

She will become the first participant in the ‘Odds Against: Newbury’s Female Commentator Programme’ to provide progression pathways for aspiring female race callers.

Jackson will commentate at three further race meetings on June 9, August 12 and November 3.

TG4 to broadcast Punchestown festival preview show

Irish racing fans are set for a pre-Punchestown treat as TG4 will broadcast a 30-minute festival preview on the eve of next week's five-day spectacular.

Denis Kirwan presents the magazine-style preview that includes insight from Willie Mullins, Henry de Bromhead and Enda Bolger.

Ruby Walsh will provide his three favourite Punchestown festival memories, with the preview also taking a look at the track's preparations ahead of next week's €3.1 million meeting.

Viewers can catch the programme on Monday at 6.25pm. It will also be available on the TG4 player and catch-up services.

TG4 head of sport Ronan O’Coisdealbha said: "These are great days for Irish National Hunt racing and TG4 are delighted to look ahead one of the highlights of the Irish sporting and social calendar as racing fans make their way back to the Punchestown festival for the first time since 2019."

Two horses added to Derby field at second entry stage

Two horses were added to the possible field for the 2022 Derby at the second entry stage, with connections of Grand Alliance and Glory Daze paying £12,000 for the chance to run in the Cazoo-sponsored Classic.

The Charlie Fellowes-trained Grand Alliance tried to win his way in but was just touched off by the Charlie Appleby-trained Nahanni who gained automatic entry by winning the Cazoo Blue Riband Trial. The second place prize-money of £12,900 picked up by the Susan Roy-owned colt covers the cost of supplementing.

The Andy Oliver-trained and Glory Gold Partnership-owned Glory Daze ended his two-year-old campaign still a maiden, but an impressive three-and-a-quarter-length success in a Curragh maiden this month from two well-regarded Aidan O'Brien-trained runners was enough to tempt connections to take the chance. Glory Daze has career earnings of £8,558.

There is one remaining entry stage for the 243rd edition of the Derby, which will carry £1.5million in prize-money on June 4, with connections having the option to pay £75,000 to join the select field on May 30.

Farringdon lands Racing Post/Coral Naps Competition

The Morning Star’s Farringdon triumphed in the 2021-22 Racing Post/Coral Naps Competition after nearest challenger The Irish Field (Rory Delargy) failed to follow up Wednesday’s 33-1 winner.

Delargy had moved to within £2.21 of Farringdon after Isle Of Dreams’ victory at Catterick, but New York Dreams, his selection on Thursday, failed to justify 7-4 favouritism in the 5f maiden at Tipperary.

Farringdon, whose final selection C’Mon Kenny was a non-runner at Chelmsford, took command of the competition in November when tipping 40-1 winner Rocco in the Badger Beer Handicap Chase at Wincanton, as well as picking 14-1, 5-1 and 9-1 scorers during that month.

Farringdon pockets a first prize of £4,000, while Delargy takes home £1,500 for finishing second. 888Sport’s Steve Mullington wins £500 for coming third.

Paul Jacobs, who is part of the Farringdon tipping team for the Morning Star that is made up of a number of people, was delighted to secure top prize in the competition.

He said: "It is a really good team at the Morning Star and they rely on their readers to contribute to allow the paper to stay alive.

"It is a massive team game for a select two or three people who I work with that don’t do full-time hours. They produce the sports pages and, okay, they don’t equate to what you might find in a daily paper, but they are good for what they are.

"When the prize money comes, I will distribute it to everyone because it is a fabulous team."

Lingfield Flat fixtures between June and September to be moved to all-weather

Lingfield's Flat turf fixtures from June 4 to September 10 will be switched to the all-weather surface, the BHA has confirmed.

Fourteen fixtures will be affected by the decision, which has been made to allow for extensive drainage work to be undertaken at the Surrey venue. The Oaks and Derby trials, which take place on May 7, will be unaffected by the switch.

Clerk of the course George Hill said: "We undertook some work on the track last year, and were really pleased with the impact, and the work this summer will offer us greater protections for our winter jumps programme and the remedial work that we have to do leading into the spring and summer Flat seasons."

The affected fixtures are: June 4, June 6, June 18, June 25, July 6, July 13, July 20, July 23, July 30, August 6, August 9, August 24, August 31, September 10.

Tom Richmond's funeral details announced

The funeral of Tom Richmond, the Yorkshire Post racing correspondent who died suddenly at the age of 52 last month, will be held at 2pm on Thursday, May 12 at the Avon Ceremony Room, Rainsbrook Cemetery and Crematorium, Ashlawn Road, Rugby, CV22 5QQ.

There will be an opportunity to talk and share memories afterwards at the Holiday Inn, Crick, NN6 7XR.

Requests for a live stream of the event should be sent to lulurichmond1@gmail.com

Family flowers only but in Tom's memory and to honour his love of racing a donation can be made to the Injured Jockeys Fund by either a cheque care of the Rugby Funeral Home, 104 Hillmorton Road, Rugby, CV22 5AL or via Just Giving at this link.

Racing mourns deaths of journalists Tom Richmond and Phil Rostron

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